How to Make Protein-Packed Banana Hummus

You might have clicked on this article because this recipe sounds so weird, so baffling to the taste buds that you just want to make sure you didn’t momentarily lose your mind as you read the title. And I admit, banana hummus is quite questionable-sounding – but there is, in fact, a precedent for it.

In addition to all the savory hummuses typically found in grocery stores (special shout outs to red pepper, sun-dried tomato, and roasted garlic), there are a rapidly increasing number of dessert hummus recipes being created every day: from chocolate espresso to snickerdoodle, dessert hummus is gaining more and more popularity as a yummy treat.

Photo by Maddie Stein

There’s only one problem: in order to bring the required sweet notes to a dish comprised primarily of garbanzo beans, most dessert hummus recipes include a healthy amount of nut butter as well as sweeteners like maple syrup, brown sugar, and agave syrup.

While not horribly unhealthy, those nut butters (e.g. almond or peanut butter) and sweeteners can make these dessert dips sit rather heavily in the stomach: such ingredients can pack a lot of sugar, fat, and calories even in small amounts. And if you include any add-ins like chopped nuts or chocolate chips, those numbers just increase.

The solution?

Bananas. Bananas provide a ton of natural sweetness and are also perfectly creamy and delicious when blended (there’s a reason that every smoothie recipe on the planet seems to call for bananas).

They also have a relatively mild flavor, which means that you can add all sorts of extra toppings to this hummus without any flavor-clashing: if you’re interested in undertaking a few culinary experiments, try sprinkling in some chocolate chips or chopped nuts. Or, if you’re really feeling adventurous, swirling in a spoonful of your favorite caramel or jam.

Photo by Abigail Wang

Basically, bananas are awesome. This recipe is even more awesome. And once you try it, we promise that it will totally revolutionize the way you satisfy your sweet tooth.